Headphone maker Skullcandy holds a soft spot in my heart. It was my go-to brand for wired earbuds when I was a teenager (this was long before the best wireless earbuds dominated the audio market) because they were affordable, available in a range of funky colors and, at the time at least, I thought they sounded great.
When I entered the world of tech journalism in my early 20s, I was exposed to a plethora of new brands and I started earning adult money. This meant I found myself drifting away from the company that I’d long considered ‘budget’ and ‘the headphones to get if you don’t mind them getting damaged’ – instead investing in more premium offerings from the likes of Sennheiser and Bose.
So when Skullcandy came back onto my radar with the announcement of the Method 360 ANC earbuds, proudly stating they’d been designed and tuned in collaboration with none other than Bose, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia – a 20-year gap can count as nostalgic, right?
Not only that, but I also wondered if the maker of my first go-to headphones could reclaim its title and knock my current favorite LG ToneFree T90S – which themselves replaced the Apple AirPods Pro 2 – out of my ears.
The quick answer? They’ve come awfully close, but their large charging case has made my final decision much trickier than I expected.
Sounding sweet
From a sound quality and ANC perspective, Skullcandy’s collaboration with Bose is an absolute hit. Bose has long been a front runner when it comes to audio performance, but is arguably best known for making some of the best noise-cancelling headphones in recent memory.
I’m inclined to believe that Bose has had free reign with the audio and ANC smarts for the Method 360 ANC because from the moment I put the buds into my ears in the office, everything around me was silenced. Colleagues talking to each other near my desk, the office speaker blaring out questionable songs, it all disappeared.
My trusted LG earbuds perform similarly, but they require the volume to be increased a little further for similar noise-cancelling effects. And when nothing is playing, the Skullcandy earbuds do a better job of keeping external sounds to a minimum.
It took me a little longer to formulate a definitive opinion on the sound quality, partly because of the design (more on that later) and partly because I’d become so accustomed to the sound of the LG ToneFree T90S.
After inserting and removing both pairs from my ears more times than I can remember, I settled on the notion that Skullcandy’s latest effort sounds more engaging, a little clearer on the vocals and just simply fun.
The increasing intensity of the violins at the start of Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy reveal them to be dynamically adept, and they show off their rhythmic talents when playing the deliciously upbeat Bread by Sofi Tukker.
Plus, despite not supporting spatial audio (I have to agree with my colleague Matt Bolton when he says the company “blew the perfectly good name it could’ve given the next-gen version where it did add this feature”), the earbuds do give songs some sense of space. I was able to confidently place the hi-hat sounds, hums and drum beats in the opening of Hayley Williams’ Simmer around my head, for example.
Overall, I’m very impressed with the sound performance of the Skullcandy buds, especially considering their $129.99 / £99 / AU$189.99 price tag, which places them firmly in affordable territory.
It’s not unjust to expect limitations where sound or features are concerned at certain price points, but I think the Method 360 ANC delivers a sound that belies their price tag.
You’ll be able to read our full thoughts on the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC in our full review, which is on its way.
The peculiar case of the peculiar case
“If you like how they sound, how come the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC aren’t your new daily pair of earbuds?” I hear you ask. Well, it’s predominantly because of their case, but also a little to do with a design choice inherited from Bose.
When I first saw images of the case following their announcement, I was a little perplexed. All of the wireless earbuds I’m aware of come with a case that can easily be slipped into a pocket – apart from the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 that is – yet the one supplied by Skullcandy looked enormous.
Now I’ve unboxed my own pair, I can confirm the case is pretty damn big. Not heavy, just big.
It’s an interesting choice, especially since the earbuds themselves don’t take up that much space. I’m also not sold on the fact you have to slide the internal section of the case out to access the buds.
What’s more, I feel the most logical way to hold the case is horizontally when sliding the earbuds out, with the carabiner clip on the right as it feels more weighted and natural in my right hand.
Doing so reveals the earbud for the right ear, with the left earbud on the other side. That means I have to pick out the right earbud with my left hand, then flip the case over and do the opposite for the left bud.
And what’s even more confusing is the earbuds appear to fit into their charging spots upside down. So not only do I have to pass each bud from the ‘wrong’ hand to the right one, but I also have to flip them around the right way. There are just too many steps involved for what has always been a seamless and convenient process with other earbuds.
What’s also interesting is that, since the Method’s launch, I’ve noticed a second, more affordable pair of earbuds appear on Skullcandy’s website called the Dime Evo. They employ a similar sliding-case design, but both earbuds are on the same side, which I can only assume will make the removal process that little bit easier.
Based on Skullcandy’s imagery for the Method 360 ANC, it’s targeting a young, cool demographic who walk around with sling bags over their shoulder, upon which they can attach the earbuds via the integrated carabiner clip.
As much as I would love to say I fall into that group, the fact is I don’t – well, not anymore. And because I’m not someone who wants to clip their headphones onto even the belt loop of my pants, the case design is completely lost on me.
I would further argue that the target audience is a little niche, too, which is a shame considering how good I think the earbuds sound. I’m saddened for Skullcandy that not enough pairs of ears are going to get to hear them.
Hey, I did say it was predominantly the case I had issues with.
As for the aforementioned inherited design trait – that would be the Stability Bands found on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds II.
Despite their intention to provide a more stable and secure fit, I initially had a lack of confidence in their ability. I often found myself wanting to readjust them in my ears to make sure they were locked in, which also meant I pressed the on-ear controls at the same time and paused my music.
It’s not just me who’s had an issue with them – my colleague and self-confessed Bose fangirl, Sharmishta Sarkar, has previously written about her shortcomings with the design too.
I eventually settled on the largest size of Stability Band (which I could only determine by sight, as there’s no indication of which size is which on the included book of spares) and so far, so good. They definitely feel more secure in my ears compared to when I tried other sizes and passive noise cancelation has also been improved.
However, the design choice has confirmed I get along best with earbud designs that insert further into my ear canal.
Awarding cool points
I like the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds. I can’t say I like the design of the case, nor do I like their mouthful of a name (Skullcandy Method would have been just fine in my opinion), but considering the biggest selling point for a pair of earbuds is how they sound, I can find little to fault.
I will most likely use them whenever I’m in the office, as I can leave the case on the desk with the skull logo facing me directly. While I might not feel cool enough to clip the case to my person, that logo alone takes me back to my teenage years. For me, that’s cool enough.
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